Park Villa

Having survived being bombed in the Second World War, this 300-year-old restored Georgian Regency villa and coach house is now an award-winning modern boutique hostel in East London. With comfortable beds and an abundance of thoughtful extras, it’s considered among the best of its kind in the country.

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Beds from

£18per night

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Occupancy

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Adults

Children

Ages of children

Airport

Location

7/10

The hostel presides in the heart of East London’s enterprising Mile End, an area increasingly popular owing to its emerging amenities and fascinating history. It’s a three-minute walk to Mile End Underground station, with tubes reaching Oxford Street in 10 minutes (depending on time of day). If you’re looking to explore East London further you can catch a bus to Bethnal Green and Shoreditch, a short ride away.

Style & character

8/10

The Georgian Regency villa was among the first buildings erected in the entire area and the only one of five similar detached houses to survive bombing in the Second World War, not that you'd guess that now. This is an upmarket hostel; interiors are a warren of rooms, with bathrooms and facilities refurbished to a modern and minimalistic standard. Bespoke murals by a local artist depicting the area’s history illustrate the communal areas and the use of chipboard on the bunks gives the rooms a hippy industrial box-park feel. It’s pretty ‘chilled’ here.

Service & facilities

7/10

The owner, Zaeem Maqsood, wanted to create a place that people could use as a resource, so you’ll find helpful information on what to do in the local area including hand-crafted maps and itineraries, high-speed Wi-Fi, tea- and coffee-making facilities, towels, toiletries, padlocks, earplugs, parking and even bicycles to use – all free of charge. There’s also a laundry room downstairs with coin-operated machines and complimentary detergent. The staff are amiable and can often be found socialising with guests.

Laundry

Parking

Wi-Fi

Rooms

8/10

There are 42 beds across seven dormitories and one private room, all of which are clean and comfortable. The custom-made bunk beds are a good feat; the door to the lockable cabinet in each bunk serves as a drop-down laptop table with a small plug, light and shelf inside so you can leave your gadgets charging without worry. Rooms also have key card access. Curtains around beds are a good feature but don’t quite fit the bunk’s frame.

Some dorms have en-suite bathrooms, the rest are communal. Even the water and heating is to a spec here. Note that light sleepers may struggle here though as you can hear traffic from the road outside as well as the usual comings and goings.

Food & drink

7/10

Guests bring their own food and store it in the kitchen fridges, which have a handy labelling system. There’s a microwave-oven-grill combo, two induction hobs, a toaster and a Nespresso machine free to use at any time, as well as milk and juice available. In the morning, a breakfast of cereal, croissants, eggs for cooking, bread and tinned fruit is laid out buffet style. It’s hard to imagine 42 people trying to use the kitchen – which is quite small – but it was surprisingly quiet in the morning and evening when I visited. There are a number of good places to grab a bite nearby as well as shops to buy groceries.

Value for money

9/10

Beds from £21 in low season; and from £28 in high. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi. Private room from £70 in low season; and from £85 in high.

Access for guests with disabilities?

No adapted rooms but staff will try to accommodate if contacted in advance.